EU Commission: 5.5 million to secure safe homes for people fleeing the war in Ukraine. A special court for Russian crimes

EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson has today announced the decision to award €5.5 million to a project managed by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). “The project provides a needs assessment for those in need of accommodation, matching them with the private offers and providing guidance for potential hosts”. The project, according to the Commission, reinforces the Commission’s Safe Homes initiative proposed in June this year. The “Safe Homes” initiative was developed to assist Member States, regional and local authorities and civil society involved in organising private housing initiatives for those fleeing Russian aggression against Ukraine and are seeking safety in the EU. The Commission also presented several options to Member States to make sure that “Russia is held accountable for the atrocities and crimes committed during the war in Ukraine”. Russia and its oligarchs “must compensate Ukraine for the damage and destruction that is being caused”. The Commission therefore proposes to set up a new structure to manage the frozen public funds, invest them, and use the proceeds in favour of Ukraine. The Commission, a statement reads, “while continuing to support the work of the International Criminal Court, is ready to work with the international community on setting up an ad hoc international tribunal” or a specialised “hybrid” tribunal “to investigate and prosecute Russia’s crime of aggression”. The options will now be presented by the Commission to the Member States for discussions and to decide on the next steps.
Gianni Borsa